Synagogue in Police u Jemnice, Czech Republic

 

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Introduction

 

The Synagogue in Police u Jemnice is a baroque building with remnant murals which was constructed in 1759, while the cemetery indicates that Jewish settlement in the region dates to centuries earlier.

 

The Synagogue was in use until the end of the 19th Century, and was then used for commercial purposes. The building is now owned by the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic.

 

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The Challenge

 

The Synagogue building was in a devastated state when the Federation took ownership of it. The first phase of the restoration project entailed researching the site and gaining the necessary permits for a preservation programme. Work on the Synagogue restoration then began in 2018, although funding was still required to ensure the project could be completed.

 

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The Plan

 

The Federation hoped to complete the full restoration of the Synagogue building, returning it to the original look of a modest country synagogue, and this would include renovation of the inside murals under the supervision of the National Heritage Institution. The Synagogue would then be open to the public and used for museum purposes presenting the history and culture of the Jewish communities in the Bohemia region.

 

Funding was successfully secured and the two year restoration process of the Synagogue building was completed in 2020. The Synagogue is now serving as an exhibition space and cultural venue.